Clutch



J. HORRID E CLUTCH Filed June 6, 1922.

ATTY.

Patented Nov. 1 1, 1924.

s'rrvs PATENT GFFJECE.

JAMES HORRIDGE,

or BOLTON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR r0 Jenn nnrnnnrnenonnnn sons LIMITED, orMANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

CLUTCH.

Application filed June 6,

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns Homeroom, a

subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bolton, in the countyof Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in orRelating to Clutches, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in or relating to clutches and hasfor its ob ject to provide a device of this character which will besimple in its action, inexpensive to produce, efficient in use and bymeans of which a stationary part may be instantaneously coupled with arotating part without jar or shock.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is an elevation partly in sectionof a clutch constructed according to the present invention showing thesame in its open position and Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1showing the clutch in its closed or clutching position.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a shaft upon which is fixed, byany suitable means but preferably by a set screw 2 as shown, a block orsleeve 3 which at one end is furnished with a gradual incline or taper 4and the other end of said sleeve 3 is bevelled or chamfered as shown at5.

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 1 is a sleeve 6 which is adapted to havefixed thereon a pulley, chain wheel or the like (not shown), by means ofwhich it may be rotated by any independent means and said sleeve 6 isfurnished with a longitudinal extension 6 of enlarged diameter whichembraces the block or sleeve 3 as shown and is provided with an internaltaper or incline 7 which corresponds with that 4 of the sleeve 3 andacts in conjunction therewith in the manner hereinafter described,

The end of the extension 6" of the sleeve 6 is open and internallythreaded and screwed thereinto is an exterio-rly threaded ring 8 whichembraces the shaft 1 with capability of sliding thereon, a set screw 9being employed to prevent the said ring becoming unscrewed.

The ring 8 is provided with a bevel or chamfer 10 for the purposehereinafter described while in the extension 6 are several holes orperforations 11 and within each of which and resting upon the bevels orchamfers 5 and 10 is a ball 12.

1922. Serial No. 566,432.

The periphery of the extension 6 of the sleeve 6 is provided with arecess 13 which acts as a slide and in which is mounted with capabilityof sliding an outer sleeve 14 which may be actuated by any well knownarrangement of connections from a lever, handwheel, or the like (notshown) and the end of the sleeve 14 is furnished with an internal recess15 approached by an incline or bevel 16.

r In the position illustrated at Figure 1 the clutch is shown in itsopen position, that is to say the sleeve 6 rotates freely upon theshaft 1. I

Upon sliding the sleeve 14 towards the right hand of the drawing, theincline 16 will strike the ball 12 and force the same inward towards theshaft 1 into the position indicated in Figure 2 and the movement of thesleeve is continued until the level portion of the interior surface ofthe same bears upon said ball 12 thus preventing the same from movingoutwards, that is, away from the shaft 1.

In its inward movement the ball 12 by virtue of the bevel or chamferlOacts upon the ring 8 in a cam or wedge like manner and forces the ring 8away from the sleeve 3 and as said ring is fixed with the extension 6 itdraws the same with it in its movement thus bringing the inclinedsurfaces 4 and 7 into contact one with the other thus clutching thesleeve 6 with the sleeve 3 and consequently with the shaft 1 the partsassumin the position indicated in Figure 2.

11 order to open the clutch the sleeve 14 is moved to the left hand ofthe drawing, when a spring 17 interposed between the end of the sleeve 3and the sleeve 6 will force the clutching surfaces 4 and 7 apart and atthe same time through the extension 6" and ring 8 force the ball 12outward into the recess 15 of the sleeve 14 the parts assuming theposition shown in Figure 1.

It will be obvious that the details of construction of the device may bemodified without departing from the principle of the invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States is A'clutch, comprising, in combination, a rotatableshaft, an inner clutch member secured to said shaft for rotationtherewith, an outer clutch member mounted for rotation on said shaft,said clutch members havmg cooperating conical clutch faces and saldouter clutch member having a sleeve portion encircling the inner clutchmember and extending beyond the same, a ring mounted for rotation onsaid shaft and secured Within said sleeve portion contiguous to one endof the inner clutch member, said ring and inner clutch member formingbetween them an annular opening having inclined sidewalls, said sleeveportion being provided with a circumferential row of radially extendingopenings, a ball in each of said openings, and a sleeve mounted forsliding movement on the extended sleeve of the outer clutch member andencircling the ball carrying portion of said clutch member, saidslidable sleeve being adapted When slid in one direction to force saidballs into said annular openijng between the ring and inner clutch mem-In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

J AMES HORRIDGE.

